Finding the right guided Pearl Harbor tour for your interests and time availability is important. Pearl Harbor is Hawaii’s most visited area that has grown over the years to feature separate but related attractions both off and on the US Navy’s Ford Island which rests in the center of the harbor. Repeat visitors to the Island of Oahu often don’t realize how much has been added to the guest experience over the past few decades. Many feel that they have “done Pearl Harbor” without realizing the hours of fascinating experiences added over recent years. Whereas a visit several years ago may have only taken an hour or two, guests now enjoy a wide selection of experiences that can only be appreciated in a matter of hours for up to an entire day, depending upon your interest levels and available time.
Arranging a professionally guided Pearl Harbor tour makes planning much easier and ensures that you will see the sites most important to you while also minimizing the risk of long wait times or taking an inefficient route. In addition, your tour guide provides interesting facts and information throughout the day that make the experience much more enriching. He or she is also able to answer the most common questions. Not to mention, they know best when it comes to taking a break for lunch as well as those important restroom stops. Some Pearl Harbor tours even include a combination of visits to various sites in historic downtown Honolulu. And some feature Pearl Harbor along with a selection of Oahu’s most popular sights island-wide. So leave the driving (and occasional traffic congestion) to a professional so you can focus on enjoying a meaningful day at World famous Pearl Harbor and beyond.
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial
This is the site most visitors think about when they first learn about Pearl Harbor and it’s most famous attraction, the USS Arizona Memorial. Managed by The National Park Service, what used to be a simple book & souvenir store with a stirring movie presentation before guests boarded boats to visit the solemn USS Arizona Memorial has grown to feature a soaring visitor center, two exhibit galleries, expansive harbor-front grounds and much more. A selection of both narrated and virtual reality tours are also available.
Your Pearl Harbor tour provider is well-versed in ensuring you are prepared to use your valuable vacation time best. Note that the most complex element of a visit can consist of getting the advance online tickets required for the movie showing paired with carefully scheduled boat rides to and from the USS Arizona Memorial. One of Hawaii’s most recognized images, the majestic Memorial straddles the battleship resting on the harbor floor as a continuing tribute to the many brave souls who lost their lives during the infamous attack on December 7th, 1941.
Be aware that, for security reasons, certain items are not allowed at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial and most of its sister attractions. Larger bags and containers, most glass containers, helmets, musical instruments, recreational equipment (such as skateboards and scooters), flowers including wreaths, flags/signs/banners, aerosols, weapons, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted. There is paid storage available just outside the entrance for large purses, bags, and similar items.
The Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
Known by many in the past as simply the “Bowfin Submarine,” the newly redeveloped Pacific Fleet Museum is conveniently located immediately adjacent to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. This magnificent museum experience was greatly enhanced in recent years and, in addition to walking through a real World War II-era submarine, it now features three redesigned galleries covering the United States Navy’s submarine force during WWII, the Cold War and beyond. It also includes a retail store and a popular “hot dog shop” conveniently located midway through one’s day at the various Pearl Harbor tour experiences. Like the adjacent National Memorial, the Museum grounds also offer unmatched harbor-front views of the other Pearl Harbor attractions all in one dramatic vista. Given the museum’s convenient adjacency to the visitor center and the modest amount of time it takes to visit, including it in your Pearl Harbor tour makes sense for most visitors.
The USS Missouri Memorial
Requiring a short shuttle bus ride onto the US Navy’s Ford Island, the USS Missouri Memorial is a large, multi-faceted attraction consisting of the restored USS Missouri battleship itself and its immediate surroundings. Among its many accolades, the USS Missouri is most famous for being the site where representatives of Japan formally surrendered to General Douglas MacArthur as the Supreme Allied Commander, bringing an end to the bloodiest conflict in human history. The USS Missouri Memorial is carefully positioned to honor those lost within the nearby USS Arizona Memorial as well as other carefully preserved sites across Pearl Harbor.
Touring the “Mighty Mo” provides guests with several options including both guided and do-it-yourself itineraries. Most Pearl Harbor tours center upon several dramatic events that took place aboard America’s last commissioned battleship, including Japanese kamikaze attacks, as well as what life on board was like for thousands of sailors during WWII. The battleship displays powerful 16-inch-barrel guns and other large-scale arms from the era. These guns were capable of hurling shells as heavy as an automobile a distance of over 23 miles.
Despite the obvious historical emphasis on World War II, the USS Missouri continued its service through the Korean and Gulf Wars before being permanently decommissioned in 1992.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Also located on Ford Island just a short drive from The USS Missouri Memorial is Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Its iconic Ford Island Control Tower still bears bullet scars from the historic attack on December 7th, 1941. The museum consists of two historic WWII air hangars and displays that include aircraft, exhibits, artifacts as well as personal stories from this dramatic war-torn time in history. From the Tower’s observation deck, guests can experience a rare 360-degree view of Pearl Harbor while docents detail the unfolding events that drew the US into World War II.
State-of-the-art, 360-degree flight simulators are an added attraction as is the Hangar Cafe, another place to rest your feet and grab something to eat during a busy day enjoying a Pearl Harbor tour.